Yemeni authorities have detained "scores" of Muslim militants with suspected terror links as part of an expanding search for a terrorist cell targetin

Yemeni authorities have detained "scores" of Muslim militants with suspected terror links as part of an expanding search for a terrorist cell targeting foreigners and secular-minded politicians, a security official said Wednesday, according to AP.

The arrests followed the assassination of veteran leftist politician Jarallah Omar and the Monday killings of three U.S. missionaries in southern Yemen.

The security official said authorities hope the arrests of the militants would help track down a terrorist cell plotting attacks on foreigners and secular-minded politicians. He declined to give the number of those arrested, saying only that they were "scores of suspects."

Another official told AP that security steps were beefed up in Sana`a around foreign embassies and major hotels for fear of possible terrorist attacks.

Meanwhile, Yemeni Prime Minister Abdul-Kader Bajammal included the slayings in a list of terrorist acts he presented to parliament Monday.

Bajammal accused "extremist elements in several (Yemeni) parties of having links with al-Qaeda." (Albawaba.com)